Clothing hooks and eye fasteners were a popular decorative accessory during the Medieval and Tudor period. The function of the hooks were to hold together garments, to drape up skirts or to simply be used for decorative purposes. Hooks would prevent skirts from getting dirty when outside or were used to display rich fabrics from underneath. These beautiful accessories were also used to fasten collars and gowns without disrupting the patterns featured on the clothing. The rich ornament of the fasteners themselves hints to the preciousness of the garments on which they were attached.
To discover more on ancient metalwork, please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
